Apparatus for recovery of gasoline from casing-head gas



Patented June 6, 1922.

Z SHEETSSHEET I- w. R. McGINNIS.

APPLICAHON FILED AUG,23| I919.

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERY OF GASOLINE FROM CASING HEAD GAS.

M M M MIM W IMI I M N MINIM v W. R. McGINNIS. APPARATUS FOR RECOVERY OFGASOLINE FROM CASING HEAD GAS.

APPLICATiON FILED AUG23. I919.

Patented June 6, 1922.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2- I ra/5W5 WALTER R. MGGINNIS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,ASSIGNOR TO PILSBRYABEGKER ENGINEERING & SUPPLY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERY. OF GASOLINE FROM OASING-H EAD GAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6,1922.

Application filed August 23, 1919. Serial No. 319,510.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER R. 'MoGINNIs, acitizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatusfor Recovery of Gasoline from Uasing-Head Gas,'of which the following isa specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawing.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for recovery ofgasoline from casing-head gas. In the extraction of gasoline from casinghead or natural gas by the compression method a .considerable increasein gasoline obtained can be secured by low-,

' ering the temperature-below that possible to secure-by ordinary watercooling. It has been found in practice advantageous to cool as low insome cases as 15 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. As nearly all gascontains a considerable amount of water vapor, this vapor is condensedby the lowering in'temperature and deposits-in the form of ice invarious parts of the apparatus employed, finally-this ice so obstructsthe apparatus that it becomes necessary to allow the temperature to risein order to melt this ice.

This rise in temperature results in retardation ofthe operation and-aconsiderable loss of gasoline. My apparatus is designed to melt that icewithout interrupting the operation of gasoline recovery, by employingtwo scrubbing units so connected that the warm in-flowing gas isintroduced to that scrubber which is congested by ice, to thaw the samewithout interrupting the operation of the apparatus.

In the drawings r Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus embodyingmy invention; the left-hand unit being shown invertical section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

As illustrated in the drawings the apparatus embodying my inventioncomprises two columns or scrubbers, numbered. 1 and 2 respectively,identical in construction.

Gasis fed to the gas inlet pipe 3 fromthegas-compressor 31, whoseinlet31 is connected with-a source of gas 'supp1y,-fn ot shown. The pipe3 connects With the crosspipe 32 in which-valves 4 and 15 are seated asshown. The terminals of the cross-pipe 32 are connected with thegas-outlet pipe 9 by means of a. pipe 33 (wherein valve 8 is seated),and the pipe (wherein the valve pump 10 and to each other, the scrubbingliquid being fed through the feed pipe 37 (wherein valve 38 is seated)to the sprinkling head 39, in the interior ofscrubber 2; a scrubbingliquid being fed through the feed pipe 40 (wherein valve 41 is seated),

to the sprinkling head 42 in the interior of column 1. Each of thescrubbers '1 and 2 s provided at its bottom with a refrigeratmg coil 12,above which is a distributing plate 11. The coils 12 are fed withammonia from the compressor 43 through the pipes 48 and 50. Thecompressor 43 is provided with a receiver 46 which discharges into theammonia feedpipe, 47, the pipe 47 being connected to the coil 12 in thescrubber 2 by means of the pipe 48 (wherein the expansion valve 49 isseated) and to the coil 12 in the scrubber 1 by the pipe 50 (wherein theex pansion valve 51 is seated). An ammonia condenser 60 receives itssupply from the compressor 43 through the feed-pipe 61, and dischargesinto the receiver 46throughthe' pipe 62. The return pipes 44 and 45convey the ammonia from the coils 12 to the compressor .43.

The columns 1 In operation, the gas from the compressor 31 or othersource of supply enters the pipe 3 under a suitable pressure, passingthrough the valve 4 and connecting pipe 5 to the top and 2 are eachprovided with a drain-pipe 52 and a gasoline discharge pipe 53. Theinterior of each of the scrubof the scrubber 1; the valves 14 and 15 being closed. So being inducted to the interior of the scrubber 1 the gaspasses downwardly,

being subjected to theaction of the scrub.- bing liquid sprayed into theinterior of the scrubber 1 through the sprinkler head 42,

and passing through the baiiies 54 contacts with the distributing plates11 and coil 12 in the bottom of said scrubber 1. A portion of the gaswill pass over from scrubber 1 to the scrubber 2 through the cross-overpipe 6. The portion of gas so entering-the scrubber 2 ascends throughthebafiies 54 and out of bottoms of both scrubbers 1 and 2 through' thepipe 36, and discharges it through the described pipe connections andthrough the sprinkling heads 39 and 42 whence it flows over the baflles54 coming in direct contact with the gas passing through said baflles,cooling the gas by this contact and condensing therefrom the valuablegasoline vapors. The cooling liquid then falling upon the distributor11, and thence upon thecooling coils 12, has its temperature againreduced by the coils 12 to the point desired for renewed circulation tothe top of the scrubber. The gasoline condensed at the bottoms ofscrubbers l and 2 flows off through the outlet pipes 53 to suitableplaces of storage.

As the apparatus continues in operation the moisture frozen from the gaswill accumulate upon the bafiles 54, distributor 11 and coil 12 of thescrubber 2. WVhen this accu flow of the gas will be reversed fromscrubber 1 to scrubber 2 by opening the valves 14 and '15 and closingthe valves 4 and 8.

Thereupon the warm gas will enter the top of. the scrubber 2 at atemperature above 32 degrees, and in its downward passage will thaw theice accumulated in said scrubber 2, with the effect of reducing thetemperature of the gas rapidly, and reducing by melting the iceaccumulated in the scrubber 2. The reversal of the movement of the gasis to be effected as often as the accumulation of ice may require. i

The cooling coils 12 are mounted at a point above the surface of thecooling liquid,v as they accomplish the desired cooling better when solocated than when submerged.

The gasoline is withdrawn from the apparatus as follows: During theoperation of the scrubber, the gasoline is allowed to col-' lect in thescrubber to a point somewhat above the level of the pipe 53, and isintermittently drawn off to this level. The pipe 53 is located above thelevel of the pipe 36,

thus maintaining a supply of liquid to the as the gasoline is only drawndown p p; tothe level of the plpe 53.

When it becomes necessary to thaw the frozen moisture, the water fromthis ice be ing of greater weight than the gasoline, will fall to thebottom of the scrubbers ;'and when the drain 52 is opened to withdrawthe water, it will only be kept open until the water is drawn off, thisbeing indicated by the escape of the cooling liquid or gasoline, atwhich time the pipe 52 will be closed, until it again becomes necessaryto remove the water.

The cooling liquid to be used is gasoline; being the gasoline which ismade from the gas being handled.

WVhen the apparatus is first placed in operation it may be charged withany convenient liquid such as brine or gasoline which will not freezevat a temperature higher than five or six degrees above zero, Fahr. Ifgasoline is used, it will be diluted by the addition of the gasolinecondensed from the gas, and as the gasoline is withdrawn, .the chargewill finally become the gasoline con dense'd from. the gas, at whichtime the apparatus reaches its maximum efficiency. If brine is used, asgasoline is condensed from the gas. the brine will be'graduallywithdrawn until only gasoline remains.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim as new and desire tohave secured to me by the grant of Letters Patent. is

1. In combination, two scrubbers each provided withbafiies.'refrigeration apparatus,

and a sprinkling head; means for guiding gas under treatmentcontinuously downwardly in one scrubber. then upwardly 1n the otherscrubber; and means for reversing said gas movement in the respectivescrubbers.

2. In combination, in an apparatus for the recovery of gasoline fromcasing-head gas, two scrubbers each containing a sprinkling head. aseries of baffi es arranged beneath said sprinkling head. distributingplates beneath said baffles, a refrigerating coil beneath saiddistributing plates, and an outlet pipe: means for guiding "as undertreatment downwardly in one scrubber, then upwardly in the otherscrubbers-and means for reversing said gasmovement iii the respectivescrubbers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

lVALTER R. MCGINNIS.

